The 2-year-old dog was hit by a car and left severely injured off to the side of the road on Walnut Avenue.

Victoria had a broken left front leg but managed to jump into Officer Gurrieri's patrol car. He strapped her in the back seat, drove to River and even paid $400 out of his own pocket for the initial vet bill.

The staff surgeon at River, David Dycus says after assessing the x-rays that revealed nerve damage and several fractures he made the decision to amputate Victoria’s front leg Wednesday morning. He feels this will help her live a long healthy life.

One day after surgery, Victory is already wagging her tail and soaking up TLC from the staff who are helping her get ready for her trip to south Florida.

Officer Gurrieri is also helping Victoria transition he will drive her Saturday morning to Macon Georgia where she will be boarding her flight that will land in Miami where her new family will be waiting for her.

If you would like to connect with the Dalmatian Rescue of South Florida. They adopted Victoria and helped raise funds to pay for her medical bills clickhere.

PREVIOUS STORY: A Dalton police officer is credited with saving a dalmatian that was hit by a car on Walnut Avenue.

Officer John Gurrieri was dispatched to a call of an injured dog on June 30. When he got there, he found the dog with a badly broken front leg.

Despite the injuries, the dog was friendly to the point of trying to jump in the patrol car.

Instead of calling for animal control, which might euthanize the dog, Gurrieri took the dog home. His family named the dog Victoria and took her to a vet clinic in Chattanooga, paying for the $400 bill out of his own pocket.

“My wife and I are huge dog lovers,” said Gurrieri. “When I saw the extent of the injuries was only what appeared to be a broken leg, I just couldn’t allow myself to see that dog be put down.”

Victoria required further, expensive surgeries. Dalton Police officers' family found the Dalmatian Rescue of South Florida which agreed to cover the cost of amputating the dog’s broken leg.

The group will adopt her and she will be a goodwill ambassador for the organization which is based in Miami.

Gurrieri's family will driver her to Macon Saturday to board her on a plane for Miami.

Dalmatian Rescue of South Florida is currently raising funds on its Facebook page to cover the cost of the dog’s surgery. More information can be found at www.dalmatianrescue.com and also the organization’s Facebook page.

The solar eclipse is less than a week away, and folks in Chattanooga are making sure they're ready. However, if you haven't found your eclipse glasses just yet, snagging a pair may not be as easy as you thought.

The solar eclipse is less than a week away, and folks in Chattanooga are making sure they're ready. However, if you haven't found your eclipse glasses just yet, snagging a pair may not be as easy as you thought.